Jump in GED Cost Worries State Officials

The price for taking the GED-the high school equivalency exam-is about to double. State officials are worried that many who need to take the test won’t be able to afford it.

A state Senate committee has approved a proposal to raise taxes on cigarettes from “roll-your-own” tobacco shops. Right now raw tobacco is taxed less than cigarettes, and shop owners worry such a measure could put them out of business.

One of the country’s largest food companies has announced a deal to acquire a Madison-based sausage maker. ConAgra Foods will purchase Odom’s Tennessee Pride for an undisclosed sum.

Two bills to enable gun-permit holders to leave firearms in their vehicles were voted out of a state House Committee today after only ten minutes of testimony against, and ten minutes for, the controversial issue. In the face of some high profile opposition, the bills are now on the way to be scheduled for a House floor vote.

A noted conservative economist casually told state lawmakers this week that FedEx CEO Fred Smith had said he would leave the state if Tennessee’s estate tax wasn’t repealed. Smith denies making any such statement.

Legislation that would allow gun owners to store weapons in their cars at work is advancing against the wishes of the state’s top elected officials. It passed a House committee Tuesday. Still, Governor Bill Haslam says he doesn’t expect the bill to reach his desk.

This week state lawmakers are debating a phase-out of the estate tax, which could be followed by a bill to do the same to the state’s tax on cash gifts.

First Lady Michelle Obama paid a lunchtime visit to Nashville today. Several hundred people attended the $500-a-plate downtown fundraiser for her husband’s reelection campaign.

The Tennessee Senate voted tonight to cut some lottery scholarship awards in order to build up lottery reserves. But the measure has an escape clause that leaves the scholarships untouched, if the lottery continues to bring in additional money each year.

Tonight, the Tennessee Senate approved a proposal for naming state judges – a first step in making a change to the state constitution. And it was the one that most resembles the current system.